To beat the rain and muddy trails, Andy and Tina explore an urban trail, the Sanford Riverwalk along the St. Johns River.
Sanford
Established in the 1870s, Sanford is the county seat of Seminole County and an excellent gateway to outdoor recreation in natural lands on both sides of the St. Johns River.
Apopka
Only 30 minutes from downtown Orlando, Apopka has interesting hikes in public lands along the Wekiva River basin and its tributaries, as well as the chain of lakes connecting to Lake Apopka.
Bear Creek Nature Trail
A patch of wild in a sea of suburbia, Bear Creek provides nearly a mile’s worth of exploration atop sandy bluffs in a shady creekside hammock in Winter Springs.
Bear encounter at Black Bear Wilderness
Visiting this Seminole County preserve for the first time, a string of excellent wildlife sightings culminates in seeing three bears at the trailhead.
Big Tree Park
While the iconic Senator is no more, Big Tree Park continues to fascinate visitors with its enormous cypress trees, including Lady Liberty. The park provides access to the Cross Seminole Trail.
Biking around Osteen
Using Beck Ranch Park as our launch point for a cycling adventure in Osteen, we discovered how easy it was to stitch together the local network of bike paths into a pleasant ride, with the Osteen Diner right at hand for lunch.
Black Bear Wilderness Area
North of Orlando, the Black Bear Wilderness Area offers some of the best wildlife watching in the region on its newly expanded 7.1-mile loop along the St. Johns River.
Black Bear Wilderness Loop Trail
Trot out your sense of adventure for an immersion into one of the wildest trails you’ll find near Orlando, the new 7.1-mile loop in the Black Bear Wilderness Area in Sanford
Black Bear Wilderness Walk
A wildlife-rich hike through the floodplain of the St. Johns River, this 2-mile walk introduces you to the beauty of Black Bear Wilderness Area in Sanford.
Black Hammock Wilderness Area
Black Hammock is a bit of Old Florida in Oviedo, with a trail showcasing a delightfully long boardwalk and a loop through scrub habitats above Lake Jesup